xo_kizzy_xo's Profile
TD Bank could replace Firefly’s Barbecue in Quincy
Update: The building has been demolished. There's a fence around the property now, along with a couple of construction vehicles. I noticed it on my way home from shopping this afternoon.
Top Chef - Texas - Last Chance Kitchen (spoilers)
Absolutely this. I was a diehard Nyesha fan up until she said that. Very cocky of her.
Secretly I hope Bev walks away with the whole thing. I'm a big fan of (metaphorically) trampling all over Mean Girls And Boys.then (metaphorically) kicking them in the face.
Rachael v Guy - jan 15 spoilers
I had to do a double taken when I saw Scott, Alex, and Marcus -- whoa, it's Chopped Lite!
That's exactly what it was. Pump up the fake drama. Have the judges be more approachable and animated. Have them praise more than criticize, and when a criticism is necessary, sugar-coat it in a way that doesn't make it sound like an outright criticism.
I have the feeling RR and GF gave much more help to some more than others. I also have the feeling some contestants purposely screwed up their dishes. The only thing I can pinpoint for this was the elimination -- you don't eliminate one of the stronger chefs in favor of the weaker ones. You just don't.
That said, I'd love to try LDP's fried chicken.
Best Grocery/ Produce in North Quincy/Marina Bay area??
Roche Bros in Quincy had no choice when Walmart added its grocery section. I'd only shopped at RB occasionally because their price point was always too high for my wallet. The last couple of times I'd been in since their "remodel" has been a bit Twilight Zone-ish. They're selling the same exact stuff they've always been, but they certainly downscaled the decor. Also I think their prices have come down somewhat.
The NQ S&S is OK in a pinch. I prefer Hannaford's, though, because their prices are much more wallet-friendly.
Milton Marketplace is the local place to go if you want to splurge.
The Big Waste....waste of time.
I imagine the laws vary from state to state. I've been in the supermarket industry for quite awhile, and I've seen everything from 50% off racks for out-of-code nonperishable product to everything being donated. My state doesn't allow perishable items to be sold at reduced price nor donated, so anything that's dairy or prepared food (rotisserie chicken, for instance) is tossed in the Dumpster. Bakery and grocery items are usually donated to a food bank. Produce, I'm not so sure -- I know a couple of chains which donate their waste to a composting company, but outside of that, I'm not sure. It wouldn't surprise me if they're also tossed in the Dumpster, to be honest.
I remember reading somewhere about food banks not wanting to complain, but complaining that most of what they can offer are bakery products. There's a reason for this: Bread and cake s incredibly cheap, so if an in-store bakery makes a lot, it's for pennies. Ditto canned products.
Julia Child's Kitchen Exhibit at Smithsonian
When I was growing up, my mother hung her pot lids and bigger cooking utensils -- whisks, spatulas, etc. -- on a pegboard next to our wall oven. It never, ever occurred to me where she got that idea until I saw Julia's kitchen at the Smithsonian :)
Rachel Ray and Guy Fieri together?
I watched it, but with very low expectations because this show strikes me as a "throwaway" as in "FN needed filler so, hey, what an interesting concept!"
I only marked three who rocked the challenge because it was obvious they know their way around a kitchen. The others? What the -- ?!? if I were Aaron Carter I'd be more humiliated than anything else.
Top Chef Texas - Ep. #7 - 12/14/11 (Spoilers)
Of course she has. She's got all her minions voting.
Top Chef Texas - Ep. #7 - 12/14/11 (Spoilers)
That doesn't surprise me. I've worked with plenty of people with her attitude. Whenever they were called out on it, they had absolutely NO IDEA why.
There's also what's called "lack of personal filter" where one automatically spits out whatever pops into one's mind at any given moment.
Top Chef Texas - Ep. #7 - 12/14/11 (Spoilers)
Exactly!
I knew neither of them were going to go home. That would have been too easy. Better to let them both stick around and see what other fireworks fly. Hey, it's a mainstay of reality TV, and TC is no exception to the rule.
Little Bit of Boston Food Industry Trivia..kind of sad
I dimly remember swinging beef at an old FINAST when I was very little. I remember wincing upon entering the store because of the smell. There was sawdust all over the floor in the meat department. The glass wall where the butchers were was green. I remember being told the green was to "keep the flies away".
I thought all beef nowadays came boxed into the food market complex over by Albany Street...???
Little Bit of Boston Food Industry Trivia..kind of sad
Color me ignorant, but I honestly didn't think there was any swinging beef distributors left...
Top Chef Texas - Ep. #6 - 12/07/11 (Spoilers)
I was discussing this episode elsewhere, and somebody mentioned the "Survivor" tactic as to why s/he is not liking this season thus far. I can definitely see that, now that I think about it: When otherwise competent chefs are sent to LCK for errors that would have been perhaps overlooked in previous seasons, there's incentive to adopt a Survivor-type mindset.
LCK = Redemption Island, TC style.
What's the BEST cooking site?
Simply Recipes
Epicurious
All Recipes
food.com
Serious Eats
These are only the tip of the iceberg on my bookmarks tab. However, they're my most-often go-to sites.
I haven't included any of my ethnic sites like Rasa Malaysia or special diet like 101 Cookbooks. BTW, those two are my top go-tos in each category.
Top Chef Texas - Ep. #5 - 11/30/11 (Spoilers)
My take on this episode? Meh.
I'm not a "Real Housewives Of Whatever" fan, but to be shown that particular way of life, to me, is an anthropological study. Oh, the theories one can conjure :D
I want to hold off until I've watched a few more episodes, but I'm starting to think the producers are stretching for ECs -- yes, Texas is BIG, Texas has lots of cities, Texas has ranches, Hispanic history, etc., but I'm wondering how much you can actually milk from all that. Do you know what I mean?
Top Chef Texas - Ep. #5 - 11/30/11 (Spoilers)
It's still too early for anyone to really stand out, IMO. To me it looks like a very talented cast, all of whom are hanging back at the moment because none of them wants to stand out like a sore thumb. If you stand out like a sore thumb at this point, you're more apt to have a target on your back down the line.
Now, THAT'S reality! [Chef Hunter]
I watched Chef Hunter last night. The one thing I like about it is the entire "realistic" aspect -- real chefs trying out for a real position in a real restaurant where, as others have said, they have to deal with a staff they don't already know, costs, and running service. For those who have no idea what's involved with being a working chef, it's indeed a wake-up call.
Case in point: The cheftestant who didn't get the position. Solid background, great palate, obviously knew his stuff. Declared he wasn't very familiar with Border Grill's concept and yet went ahead with formulating two labor-intensive aps/entrees, and a dessert in the spirit of a cuisine of which he wasn't familiar. He fell apart during service and Susan Feiniger (sp?) had to step in to help him. He was gracious and very thankful for her help, but right then and there I think he knew he was doomed, just by the look on his face.
It's very much an education for those viewers who have absolutely no idea...
"That" food photography on food blogs
You're absolutely correct :nodding: IMO it's almost a given that you have to include some kind of food porn if you have a cooking blog. You can have the greatest recipes in the world, but if you can't entice readers visually, they're apt to scroll right on by.
The Next Iron Chef: Super Chefs (Episode 2: "Take Me Out to the Ballgame") [SPOILERS]
I caught that too :nodding: His voice over during the cookoff did nothing to alleviate that angry air he seemed to carry throughout this episode.
I would have picked Irvine's dish. I'm not really a seafood fan, but Irvine's dish looked cleaner and more appetizing to me than Chiarello's glop of fettucine and that afterthought tomato slices-with-peanuts next to it. Points, though for him making and cooking the fettucine within the 30 minutes -- it's something I wouldn't attempt in such a situation.
Top Chef Just Desserts Finale
You're right -- it was molded sugar, not pulled. Now I remember the camera showing him pouring the sugar. Whoops! But I thought most of his showpiece was sugar...I do recall chocolate at the bottom of it, though.
Top Chef Just Desserts Finale
I was really rooting for Matthew -- I honestly thought the judges would have given him more props for attempting pulled sugar rather than using chocolate in his showpiece. I can understand Sally giving Orlando the showpiece (a strategic move on her part), but I knew she was a goner with the editing. Chris's winning doesn't surprise me at all. As the most experienced cheftestant, he was a shoo-in.
I think one of the reasons why there isn't more "talking up" of TCJD is because pastry is a very specialized area, whereas savory cooking is more accessible -- hence, TC's popularity outshine's TCJD's.
The CHEW
Thanks HillJ!
"The Chew is cramming far too much information into an hour (less with ads) program and if the audience wasn't sitting in an intimate studio, enjoying some on air snacks and even receiving the occasional swag, I think they would be bored to tears".
That's EXACTLY it! Even I, as a food person, was bored to tears, which is no doubt why I found it so uncomfortable in places. To her credit, Daphne's the only one who's giving any new information --- one of the episodes I watched had her doing "beauty treatments from your pantry", and that I found interesting . Some of the dishes Mario and Michael make look wonderful. And I realize they're doing it step by step because of the format, but when Mario's forced to dumb down the step by step even more, it not only doesn't work, but you tend to have a very disgruntled Mario too.
Michael could carry this entire show. He's got the chops and the charisma for it.
Is "What Not To Wear" still on? I'm wondering if this is a PT gig for Clinton. I could see him having his own fashion a-la-Nate-Berkus show :nodding:
And Carla? Her role in all this is not well defined at all. I feel badly because I do believe she could bring a lot to the table, but she's being upstaged.
The CHEW
I finally had the chance to watch a couple of episodes in their entirety. My thoughts:
There's something not gelling, and I think it's partly the format as well as the chemistry of the hosts as a group. I found it very uncomfortable to watch in places.
I'm willing to give Daphne a pass because of her inexperience and because she represents a "voice" out there, but I also find something offputting about her. Maybe this will lessen as she becomes more comfortable...then maybe not.
I almost want to ask why Carla is there. Out of all the hosts, she seems to have the smallest part. I've only seen her demonstrate one dish...?
I love Clinton, but I also wonder why he's part of this show.
I'm not getting the "leave me alone" vibe from Mario that others have gotten, but at the same time it's obvious that he's the one with the most experience/knowledge, and trying to dumb down that knowledge to a general audience? I'm not quite convinced he can do it successfully.
I love Michael Symon. No, I adore him. I think he's going to emerge as being the real star of this.
"Sweet Genius" = Dr. Evil?
I finally caught one of the episodes...yes, the whole conveyor belt/Dr. Evil thing is gimmicky, the underlying premise has echoes of Chopped, but I honestly I think I there's potential here.
The "inspiration" is clever. It forces one to think outside the box. The last inspiration in the show I watched was "cat", and one of the pastry chefs initially wanted to use spun sugar as a garnish (cat = playing with yarn). It didn't work out, he thought of something else, and Ron Ben-Israel remarked that he should have stuck with the spun sugar. The hard-boiled egg in the first test was a bit trickier; "pearl in oyster" was the inspiration, and although using hard-boiled eggs as a dessert component is exceedingly difficult, the cheftestants really gave it their all.
Personally, I'm thrilled FN is finally paying attention to pastry. But then again I'm a baker ;)
